PERIOD PARRRTY
A Tamil teenager is preparing for their period party – a traditional ritual meant to mark the start of womanhood. But Krish isn't a girl.
23 October – 22 November | Soho Theatre Dean Street
Captioned performances: Tue 4 Nov 18.30, Sat 15 Nov 14.15 & 18.30
By Gayathiri Kamalakanthan
In association with Soho Theatre
A Tamil teenager is preparing for their period party – a traditional ritual meant to mark womanhood. But Krish isn’t a girl. And this ‘celebration’ feels more like the opening act of a never-ending performance. As expectations mount, Krish decides to take control. With help from their best friend Brenavee and a growing chosen family, Krish flips the script to throw the degendered party of their dreams.
Set in 2010, in the aftermath of genocide, Period Parrrty is an ode to Tamil survival and self-determination. This is no ordinary coming-of-age story. This is a trans Tamil party. And you’re invited.
Initially developed in a Soho Lab, Kali Theatre first presented Period Parrrty as a short play in our Discovery Programme at Hampstead Theatre where it won the audience vote. It was then presented as a script-in-hand performance in our International Plays Festival.
“A few years ago a friend asked me how I felt about period parties. At the time, this ‘puberty ceremony’ felt like a patriarchal ritual, a signal to our community that this person was a functioning ‘woman’ who would eventually become a bride and a mother. Then my friend asked me what queering a period party might look like. I’d never imagined that before.
And that curiosity is what sparked this play. Period Parrrty is a trans, Tamil play. It’s about self-determination, young love and a parent and child really seeing each other for the first time. It’s also about the ritual of coming together and building community in the aftermath of genocide – something which will always shape my family and stories. It is about the lightness we have to hold onto in order to survive.” – Gayathiri Kamalakanthan
